Code Orange lost out to Mastodon for a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category over the weekend and they seemed to take the whole thing in stride. Obviously it sucks to lose on a national stage like that, but the band took to Twitter to make the following statement that night.
https://twitter.com/codeorangekids/status/957844541788258304
Then two days later, Of Mice & Men guitarist Alan Ashby made mention of the loss by saying that basically if Code Orange won a Grammy, then Norma Jean should've also won a Grammy back in the day. Code Orange wasn't particularly excited about this tweet and responded to Ashby by succinctly telling him to "eat shit." Asbhy said that he didn't mean any disrespect by the tweet either and I can see what he means – basically, if Code Orange is being recognized, Norma Jean was in a similar vein back in the day and should've also been recognized.
Sumerian Records owner Ash Avildsen also jumps in and adds that he gets what Ashby was saying, and that "there’s way too much segregation in heavy music."
If code orange should’ve won a grammy then Norma Jean should’ve won a grammy back in the day?????
— Alan Ashby (@AlanAshby) January 30, 2018
https://twitter.com/codeorangekids/status/958535128212430849
Really didn’t mean for this to be a diss towards either @codeorangekids or @NormaJeanBand i’m sorry to them and all their fans stop tweeting me now thanks! ? https://t.co/OS84XcCt8A
— Alan Ashby (@AlanAshby) January 31, 2018
Norma Jean BTMAKTC is one of the greatest heavy records to utilize dissonant chords with metal/hc riffs and Code Orange does it in a fn awesome way on their album Forever. Not sure Alan’s intention with his comment but I do know there’s way too much segregation in heavy music.
— Ash Avildsen (@ashavildsen) January 31, 2018
Though for a guy who didn't want drama, Ashby then brings up the time that Code Orange's bassist threw his bass at Of Mice & Men guitarist Philip Manansala after breaking a string and needing a new bass. Code Orange's response is that the duo should "keep talking." So I guess we're not going to see an Of Mice & Men meets Code Orange tour anytime soon.
Personally, I still don't see how being lumped in with old Norma Jean is a bad thing, but I guess poking at an open wound after a loss like that could still be misconstrued pretty quickly.
Once while watching them sidestage their bass player threw his bass then screamed at @philipmanansala to get him a new one hahahhaha so i gotta stick up for my dude! That was WACK!
— Alan Ashby (@AlanAshby) January 31, 2018
It’s true! The bass player from @codeorangekids was yelling at me to give him a bass on side when he broke a string on stage at nova rock. Unfortunately I’m not a tech or bass player so I was like ??? #defendALAN
— Philip Manansala (@philipmanansala) January 31, 2018
https://twitter.com/codeorangekids/status/958648599126065155
